JASDF may be in the market for more F-35s

ricnunes · by **ricnunes** » 21 Oct 2018, 18:21

mixelflick wrote:Right, but the drop in total combat aircraft is also a function of something else (beyond increased capability) - COST.

Absolutely.
But in the end, why are fighter/combat aircraft much more expensive today compared to the past?
I believe the answer is quite straightforward: Aircraft are much more technologically advanced and as such much more expensive but at the same time you can do much more with much less quantity.

mixelflick wrote:It's pretty clear the air force wasn't going to replace the F-15 1:1 with the F-22. And 20 B-2's speaks volumes - wasn't ever going to replace the B-52's numbers, or for that matter the B-1B. The F-35 is the cheapest of that bunch, but it's still an expensive aircraft and fleets continue to shrink.

So... where does this game end? At the rate things are going, some of these other countries are going to be flying a few dozen aircraft in the future. Throw in poor readiness and you get maybe 12 - 15 aircraft that are airworthy. Extreme example, but you get my point. Not everyone has the kind of $ the USAF does, and can afford 1,700 examples. Even that figure is in question though, with the kind of deficits etc we're running...

Honestly I believe that no-one knows when this "game" will end. Perhaps when some new revolutionary technology which will be more advanced but at the same time much cheaper which would allow a much cheaper development, manufacturing and maintenance of fighter aircraft comes up then we will see at least the total number of fighter aircraft among air forces in general to become steady or even increasing again. Perhaps such technology is yet to come and as such a bit in the sci-fi field or who knows, it's already here with the F-35 itself where we have this newer generation (5th) fighter aircraft which costs the same or even less than previously generation fighter aircraft (4th/4.5th).
I guess that we may already be seeing something on this regard, regarding the F-35 with countries such as Netherlands or Japan already intending to order more F-35s than they initially planned.

Regarding availability/poor readiness because of having a low total number of aircraft, I believe that you must look at the following:
1- When you have a low number of aircraft you usually have a much better readiness percentage (%) compared to a country that has a bigger fleet. The downsize is that the country or countries with the smaller fleet will suffer the most regarding loses (attrition or even combat). So I don't think that "poor readiness" is something that affects countries with small fighter aircraft fleet unless their air forces are underfunded which would IMO affect the same way if those same countries had a much bigger fleet.
2- Modern technology such as for example ALIS in the case of the F-35 will vastly improve the fleet's readiness. Also using more and more ground based flight simulators will also help a lot the readiness, even among a small fleet of fighter aircraft.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 21 Oct 2018, 18:30

Perhaps forgotten is the potential for allies to co-operate with their F-35s? This will be easy because the aircraft will be the same with regular exercises to enable this co-operation. Japan & USA & SEA others with F-35s for example but YMMV.

A recent example: Japan and Australia: Working Their Strategic Dynamic 13 Oct 2018

https://sldinfo.com/2018/10/japan-and-a ... c-dynamic/

ricnunes · by **ricnunes** » 21 Oct 2018, 18:57

spazsinbad wrote:Perhaps forgotten is the potential for allies to co-operate with their F-35s? This will be easy because the aircraft will be the same with regular exercises to enable this co-operation. Japan & USA & SEA others with F-35s for example but YMMV.

A recent example: Japan and Australia: Working Their Strategic Dynamic 13 Oct 2018

https://sldinfo.com/2018/10/japan-and-a ... c-dynamic/

Yes indeed. That's a force multiplier on its own.

Dragon029 · by **Dragon029** » 26 Nov 2018, 15:20

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews ... 34-nnn-pol

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.p ... royer.html

The Japanese government has decided to procure the F35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) stealth fighter aircraft as part of the new defense plan to be outlined next month.

In February 2018, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japan was planning to acquire 40 vertical takeoff and landing F-35Bs, which could be operated from these ships with some alterations. In March this year, the ruling LDP called upon the Japanese government to develop its own aircraft carriers and operate F-35B aircraft, which has been thought to include refitting the Izumo class.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 26 Nov 2018, 20:23

Japan, F-35Bs for Izumo carriers, official https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yLlnuyRsAk

popcorn · by **popcorn** » 27 Nov 2018, 01:03

Should give Beijing a bad case of indigestion.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 27 Nov 2018, 04:54

Will the F-35B now be designated a helicopter to fit into Izumo's helicopter destroyer designation?

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 27 Nov 2018, 06:37

'weasel1962' said: "Will the F-35B now be designated a helicopter to fit into Izumo's helicopter destroyer designation?"

EXACTLY! Nailed it. :mrgreen:

popcorn · by **popcorn** » 27 Nov 2018, 06:58

It's a hovercraft.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 27 Nov 2018, 07:01

'popcorn' said: "It's a hovercraft."

EVEN BETTER! :roll:

https://www.navyrecognition.com/images/ ... troyer.jpg

Dragon029 · by **Dragon029** » 27 Nov 2018, 07:29

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Intern ... rs-from-US

TOKYO -- Japan is preparing to order another 100 F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S. to replace some of its aging F-15s, according to sources.

This doesn't seem to be officially confirmed yet and I'm not sure if the 100 is just F-35As or F-35As + F-35Bs, but we might hear more very soon with the new defence plan being outlined next month.

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 27 Nov 2018, 08:19

This is actually nothing new other than some of the F-35's maybe of the B Model. As Japan said it would order 100 Stealth Fighters by the end of 2018. So, considering the F-35 was the only one available. It was clear they meant the Lightning.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 27 Nov 2018, 08:58

This is a new one. It will now be called a multipurpose "mother ship", not an aircraft carrier.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/ ... ther-ship/

Coming up next....F-35B GBUs will now be renamed as "postal articles". Very heavy postal articles....

The recipients will be stamped "out" and will be guaranteed to get the message.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 27 Nov 2018, 09:06

In English NavAv Jargon the flat deck is "MOTHER" so that is somehow reasonable but hilarious at the same time? :roll:

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 27 Nov 2018, 09:22

Now the question is will Japan acquire additional Osprey's to operate in the AEW&C, Tanker, and/or COD roles from the Izumo???